Ticket sales for the Jimmy Daywalt banquet moved into the last day Wednesday
with a crowd of at least 300 assured for the event scheduled for 6:30 p. m.
Thursday in the Honeywell Memorial Center.

Highlight of the banquet honoring the Wabash
race driver who finished sixth in the 500-mie race at Indianapolis Memorial Day
will be the formal presentation of the Stark & Wetzel Rookie-of-the-Year award.
Daywalt was voted winner of the trophy by representatives of Indianapolis
newspapers and radio stations, wire services, and Speedway officials.

The trophy was to have been presented to
Daywalt at the annual award dinner the evening after the race but Jimmy smacked
the wall while driving that day at Winchester. Injuries kept the 27-year-old
Sumar Special pilot from attending the Indianapolis program and receiving the
trophy at that time.

Plans for the local banquet began rolling soon
after Daywalt flashed across the finish line at Indianapolis. Dick Miller and
Hugh Reahad agreed to under write the banquet. The results are still to be
heard, but Wednesday morning it was apparent that it would be the biggest
collection of sports personalities seen here in many a moon.

Here’s what’s been lined up thus far:

The banquet will open in true “500” fashion at
6:30 with starting bombs. Dick Neher will sing “Bach Home Again In Indiana.”
The assistant starter of this year’s “500,” Herb Lewis of Stark & Wetzel will be
on hand to get things underway.

Maybe Wilbur Shaw won’t ride around the banquet
room in a shiney new convertible to pace the field but he will be there. The
three-time winner of the “500” and now president of the Indianapolis Speedway
informed Miller Tuesday that he would be glad to attend.

Officials of Stark & Wetzel will present the
company’s $6,000 trophy to Daywalt along with a check for $1,000. Daywalt’s
name will be inscribed on the 40-inch high trophy and he will be given a replica
of the award to keep.

Pal Burch, treasurer of the company, Fred
Conrad, assistant advertising director, and Thomas Baker, Wabash district sales
representative, will be present along with Lewis who is assistant sales manager.

Art Cross, winner of the Stark & Wetzel trophy
in 1952 will be at the banquet as well as Duane Carter who finished fourth in
this year’s race. Other drivers are being contacted for appearance Thursday.

Sid Collins, popular Indianapolis sportscaster,
will be on hand to interview the drivers. Collins will leave his nightly radio
show for the Wabash banquet.

The Sumar Special, the car Jimmy rode to sixth,
will be on display in the Center. The pit crew and chief mechanic will
accompany the car from Terre Haute and will answer any questions race fans might
have about the car.

The Exchange club which holds its meetings on
each Thursday has voted to cancel this week’s dinner so that its members may
attend the banquet.

Bill Vukovich, winner of this year’s “500,” has
notified the banquet sponsors that he will attend if at all possible. He has
accepted two tickets. Vukovich has plans to go to California but will attend if
he is not on the way to the coast.